Rangers Looking At Adding Starter And Catcher
- The Rangers are not only continuing their search for another catcher, but could look outside the organization for rotation help, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. A.J. Griffin may have the inside track to take the fifth starter’s job at present, says Grant, but there’s some concern about the overall starting pitching depth as camp comes to a close. As for the backstop situation, it doesn’t appear that much has changed, but Texas is still looking to improve upon its reserve options — if not to strike a more significant upgrade. (Grant notes that the club has inquired on Derek Norris of the Padres and Bryan Holaday of the Tigers.)
- Of course, interest doesn’t always mean that a deal gets done, and significant spring trades are rare. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports also reports that the Rangers have real interest in both areas (Twitter links), but he says the club thinks it has only an “outside chance” at adding a catcher and is “doubtful” to find a new pitcher. All in all, both reports suggest that Texas is looking at its options but is hardly certain to add outside pieces. And still others suggest there’s not much reason to expect movement. Jeff Wilson of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram tweets that outside inquiries have mostly been tire-kicking exercises, while MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan adds on Twitter that club officials have suggested to him that the final rotation piece will come from inside the organization.
- Reclamation righty Matt Bush isn’t in the mix for an Opening Day pen spot with the Rangers, Grant also writes, but he has been enormously impressive this spring and could be an option later in the season. Bush’s story is well-known, of course — the former first overall draft pick recently finished a prison term for severely injuring a man in a DUI.
Rangers Release Jeremy Guthrie
The Rangers have released veteran starter Jeremy Guthrie, as per Rangers executive VP of communications John Blake (on Twitter). Guthrie was let go by the club after he exercised the opt-out clause in his minor league contract, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.
Guthrie, who turns 37 in April, earned a World Series ring with the Royals last season though he didn’t make the club’s postseason roster. The right-hander suffered through the worst season of his 12-year career, posting a 5.95 ERA, 5.1 K/9, a career-worst 14.1% home run rate and a league-leading 29 homers allowed over 148 1/3 innings. Kansas City declined its end of Guthrie’s $10MM mutual option for 2016, giving him a $3.2MM buyout instead.
Guthrie has been a reliable innings-eater over the years, and despite his struggles, he could get another look from teams. The righty told reporters (including Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram) that he is receiving consideration from two clubs about a new contract.
With Guthrie out of the mix, A.J. Griffin and Nick Martinez are the remaining contenders for the fifth spot in the Texas rotation. One of those two will hold down the fort until Yu Darvish makes his expected return from Tommy John rehab in late May or early June.
Rangers Notes: Ruggiano, Four-Man Rotation?
- Rangers outfielder Justin Ruggiano could become a trade target for clubs looking for outfield help, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal opines (Twitter link). Ruggiano signed a one-year, $1.65MM Major League deal with Texas in December to provide depth in left given Josh Hamilton‘s injured status, though with Ian Diamond now signed as the regular left field, Ruggiano has become a bit of a surplus. Ruggiano turns 34 in April and owns an impressive .272/.336/.520 career slash line after left-handed pitching.
- The Rangers could use a modified four-man rotation as a way of sidestepping a roster crunch in April, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News opines. The club’s fifth starter candidates operate as swingmen to cover both those spot starts and the role as eighth man in the bullpen. This could also allow Texas to keep out-of-options Sam Freeman rather than exposing him to waivers.
Tigers Among Teams Looking At Kyle Lohse
11:11am: In addition to the Tigers, Heyman reports (via Twitter) that the Orioles, Rangers and Reds also attended Lohse’s recent showcase. The O’s and Rangers would presumably also be looking at Lohse as experienced depth, though Baltimore’s rotation is unsettled enough that Lohse could have an opportunity at regular innings. Cincinnati, meanwhile, is going with a very inexperienced group of starting candidates so Lohse could be a fit as a veteran innings eater.
9:33am: The Tigers “are emphasizing depth” in the starting rotation and have some interest in veteran righty Kyle Lohse, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link). Lohse is a client of Scott Boras, who has a well-documented connection with Tigers owner Mike Ilitch.
The Marlins were the only other club connected to the 37-year-old this winter, and the quiet rumor mill probably isn’t a surprise given Lohse’s age and his rough 2015 season. He posted a 5.85 ERA and 6.4 K/9 over 152 1/3 innings with the Brewers, a performance that cost him his rotation job. The largest issue seemed to be a 15.3% homer rate that was well above Lohse’s 10% career average, though a .314 BABIP and 68.7% strand rate also added to Lohse’s misfortune. While his ERA indicators (5.12 FIP, 4.48 xFIP, 4.43 SIERA) weren’t particularly impressive, they show that Lohse’s 5.85 ERA was at least a bit misleading.
Lohse is probably available on a minor league deal at this point, and he could provide some veteran depth for a rotation that has had a couple of injury question marks. Anibal Sanchez recently pitched his first outing of camp on Monday after battling triceps inflammation this spring, and Daniel Norris recently left a start due to tightness in his lower back. Justin Verlander, Jordan Zimmermann, Sanchez and Mike Pelfrey are penciled in as Detroit’s top four starters, with Shane Greene, Matt Boyd and Buck Farmer all battling Norris for the fifth starter’s job (and potentially a spot outing for Sanchez if he isn’t able to make his first start of the regular season).
Rangers, Rougned Odor Discussed Extension
- The Rangers have tried to sign young infielder Rougned Odor to an extension, but the two sides found themselves far apart and talks are no longer active, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets. Heyman reported in October that Odor and the Rangers would discuss a deal. Odor, who only recently turned 22, posted a .261/.316/.465 line in 2015 that was perhaps even more promising than it sounds, given the trajectory his season took — he struggled for the first six weeks of the season, headed down to Triple-A Round Rock, posted a 1.065 OPS there, and then batted .292/.334/.527 in the big leagues from June through the end of the year.
Rangers Option Gallo, Profar, Mazara
The Red Sox could trade from their considerable catching depth, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes. Blake Swihart projects as their starter, while Christian Vazquez has looked good defensively after having Tommy John surgery last year. There’s also veteran Ryan Hanigan, as well as Sandy Leon, who MacPherson notes isn’t on the 40-man roster but is “being paid commensurate with a front-line depth option.” At some point, MacPherson suggests, youngsters Swihart and Vazquez will likely be the Red Sox’ top two catchers. That would imply that Hanigan could be a candidate to be dealt, with the Astros and Rangers as potential trade partners. Hanigan hit a decent .247/.337/.328 last year, has a reputation as a good defender and framer, and is only owed $3.7MM in 2016, so he could be an attractive target for teams in need of catching help. Here’s more from the American League.
- The Rangers have announced that they’ve optioned high-profile youngsters Joey Gallo, Jurickson Profar and Nomar Mazara to Triple-A Round Rock. Gallo has wowed minor-league fans with his power and hit 29 home runs between three levels in 2015, but he struck out in over 40% of his plate appearances in the big leagues and at nearly as high a rate at Triple-A. Profar was ranked the No. 1 prospect in the game by Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus prior to the 2013 season, but he missed all of 2014 and most of 2015 with shoulder issues and has only recently begun playing shortstop again. Mazara, an outfielder, batted .296/.366/.443 in a 2015 season split between Double-A Frisco and Round Rock. Via MLB.com, he ranks as the Rangers’ third-best prospect, with Gallo ranking first.
Rangers Content With Current Catching Situation
The Rangers have reportedly been in the market for a catcher in recent weeks, but that search has apparently been put on the back burner. On Sunday, Texas GM Jon Daniels indicated that he will not be adding another catcher between now and Opening Day, as T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com writes.
“At this point I anticipate both our catchers are in camp,” Daniels said. “We are open if there is a true improvement to the team, but we’re not going to change for change’s sake.”
Daniels admitted that he has talked “a little bit” with rival teams about acquiring a catcher, but Sullivan gleans that the asking prices for Derek Norris and Jonathan Lucroy have simply been too high. Ultimately then, the Rangers will head into April with Robinson Chirinos behind the dish and a handful of veteran catchers jostling for the No. 2 job.
But, aside from Bobby Wilson, Chris Gimenez, and Michael McKenry, Sullivan notes that 2010 sixth-round pick Brett Nicholas has looked strong in camp and could also find his way on to the roster. Daniels says that the team wasn’t sure what they had in Nicholas but his performance as of late has the club viewing him as “a big league-capable catcher.” On the other hand, Nicholas can be stashed in the minors whereas the team’s trio of veterans probably can’t. Gimenez is out-of-options and Wilson and McKenry have opt-out opportunities if they’re not on the big league roster.
In a perfect world, the Rangers would probably prefer to have Lucroy or Norris to shore things up behind the plate, but they are not presently willing to meet the demands of the Brewers or Padres in order to make a trade happen. The salaries of both players ($4MM and $2.9MM), respectively, are also factors. Even though those are relatively modest sums, the team is already said to be well over their projected payroll thanks to the Ian Desmond signing.
Grant: Rangers Have Reason To Prefer Derek Norris Over Jonathan Lucroy
- Derek Norris may be a more sensible target for the Rangers than Jonathan Lucroy, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News opines. Salary and length of control are the two main factors, but Grant notes that there are some reasons to prefer Norris over Lucroy from an on-field perspective, too.
Rangers Notes: Gallo, Profar, Desmond
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels joined Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News on his podcast, and Grant has transcribed some of the highlights (in addition to providing the full audio, for those that are interested). Daniels addressed the positive signs he’s seen this spring from Joey Gallo, the returning Jurickson Profar and a number of other prospects. Interestingly, Daniels highlighted starting pitching and catching as two potential areas where the club could be exposed. Earlier tonight, Grant reported that the Rangers are surveying the market for catching help and listed Derek Norris as a player of interest.
Rangers Exploring Catching Market, Showing Interest In Derek Norris
The Rangers are “surveying the market for a possible catching addition,” three sources tell Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. While the Rangers have had interest in Jonathan Lucroy all offseason, Grant cites another source in reporting that the Padres’ Derek Norris is a likelier target at this stage.
Norris, 27, is more affordable for the 2016 season ($2.9MM versus Lucroy’s $4MM), and he’s under control through the 2018 season, whereas Lucroy is controlled only through the 2017 campaign (by virtue of a club option following the upcoming season). While the $1.1MM difference between their 2016 seasons appears largely trivial relative to big league payrolls, Grant notes that the Rangers have already exceeded their projected payroll by $7MM (in large part due to their late signing of Ian Desmond).
Though he had somewhat of a down season at the plate last year, hitting .250/.305/.404, Norris has plenty of bat for the position and has amassed a .256/.333/.405 slash line dating back to 2013 despite playing his home games in the pitcher-friendly confines of Oakland’s O.Co Coliseum and San Diego’s Petco Park. He’s caught 27 percent of opposing base-stealers in the Majors, including a career-best 34 percent with the Padres in 2015. And, he delivered quality framing numbers last season in the eyes of Baseball Prospectus.
From the Padres’ vantage point, catching is a position of depth. Not only does the club have an experienced option in Norris, the club also has a pair of young backstops in the form of Austin Hedges and Christian Bethancourt. Each player has rated among the game’s top 100 prospects as recently as last offseason, though both did struggle in the Majors in 2015. The 23-year-old Hedges, considered one of the best defensive catching prospects in baseball, tallied 152 plate appearances in 2015 but batted a mere .168/.215/.248 in that stretch. Hedges tallied just enough plate appearances to surpass his rookie status, thus making him ineligible for prospect lists, but his defensive prowess and solid production in limited time at Triple-A in 2015 would’ve likely kept him ranked near the top of the Padres’ list of farmhands.
Bethancourt, like Hedges, has eclipsed rookie status despite struggles in the Majors. Acquired in an offseason swap with the Braves, the 24-year-old has hit just .219/.245/.283 in 278 big league plate appearances across the past few seasons with Atlanta. However, Bethancourt hit .327/.359/.480 in 218 Triple-A plate appearances last year and has received grades of 70 to 80 for his arm behind the plate (on the 20-80 scale). However, passed ball issues that some scouts believed he’d eventually correct never improved, resulting in an alarming 14 passed balls in just 73 games last season. Because he’s out of minor league options, Bethancourt will have to be placed on the Padres’ 25-man roster at the end of Spring Training or be exposed to waivers.
This won’t be the first time that Norris’ name has surfaced in trade talks. The Padres reportedly shopped both Norris and Hedges around a bit at the Winter Meetings, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported back in November. More recently (in February, to be exact), Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports said that the Padres were still exploring deals for Norris in Matt Kemp. If the Rangers add Norris, Grant writes, it would allow them to lessen the workload of Robinson Chirinos, perhaps starting him in 70 to 80 games with Norris taking on a slightly larger workload. Internal options for the Rangers would include Michael McKenry, Bobby Wilson and Chris Gimenez. Tigers backstop Bryan Holaday has also seen his name surface in trade rumors recently, as he looks to be third on the Detroit depth chart and is out of minor league options.